The Green Lion
by BlutengelHates
Summary: When everything is taken for granted, Severus thinks he would end up in Slytherin, like his mother - who has told him so much good things about this House that he already feels a bit at home. Severus craves going to Hogwarts, he wants to be special, he wants to achieve his dreams to be "someone"; as he is nobody in the Muggle world. However, fate decides to play tricks.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter one: Would he be special?

Severus was eager to go to Hogwarts; so eager he was spending his whole summer before start of term pacing restlessly in his tiny room - on daytime. At night, he was listening to his mom, when his father was too drunk to hear any magical mention. Both Eileen and Severus hid by the kitchen spot to whisper about Hogwarts and the magical world, while Tobias was snoring loudly on the couch.

Yes, that was true Severus already knew everything about his future school and more: the Four Houses, the different courses, Quidditch, Gobstones, the _Daily Prophet_, Azkaban, the Ministry of Magic, the wands (such as their making), Diagon Alley…

The boy even thought that he would go to Diagon Alley blind-folded.

Well, he didn't when he had to fetch his wand; nonetheless, that was as if he had always known about the magical community. Moreover, his mother had told him so much about _her world_ that he already felt like home, like he belonged to somewhere.

Something he never had felt here at Cokeworth, at the primary school by the opposite river's bank from their slums.

To tell the truth, Severus unconsciously believed that he didn't belong to the Manchester impoverished area. Otherwise, the boy could barely tell to what extend he would feel ashamed of having such a drunkard as father, who couldn't earn enough money to eat fresh dairies and offer clean clothes, so much as not paying his bills and have the luxury of water for a shower.

Severus was barely ashamed because as soon as he could read, he had come across some newspaper front pages and even scanned a few articles dealing with the crisis.

Said crisis which became more and more tough, so that Tobias worked less and less, spent more and more time at the pub, trying to drown his powerlessness.

Oh, that couldn't explain and excuse his habit to drink. One could like drinking, and not taking care of the amount of drunk alcohol - even before the crisis. Yet it didn't help.

Yes, Tobias had always liked to drink Ale. Malted, triple-malted, blonde, red, white - whatever was good to drink. This habit, plus the crisis and his temper made him quite the aggressive type of miner. He sometimes had good ideas, had straight thought which was interesting to know and to debate further from it. Nonetheless, his illetrism and rough manners stopped him to be otherwise than that low-class miner who believed in conspiracies, hating anything unusual (_magic_!), and certainly slapped his wife and only-son.

No one would have dared to oppose against that robust man. Severus had soon understood that people witnessed but did nothing unless gossiping; so that he had to learn to protect himself on his own. That is hiding, letting the blows coming at him, lowering his gaze, saying no words, waiting that things would stop by themselves.

When Severus had to go to school, speaking hurt his throat and was so unnatural that he stammered and blushed from shame because it was like he was as illiterate as one would think about those poor people from the wrong of the river.

Either he spoke too low or too loud, he would end mid-sentence, lose the track of his saying and thought and hide his face under his long hair.

_and waited, waited, waited that those loud laughs stopped too_…

He hated speaking. He made everything he could to void speaking in front of a class full of well-fed and well-looking classmates ready to mock him.

\- despite the fact he was knowledgeable.

School was _boring. _Not _that_ boring but _most _of it. He learned quickly: knew reading, writing and calculating earlier than his mates; but the cultural aspects of classes were interesting. He couldn't learn them from home after all.

The boy had even surprised himself dreaming about those great figures who shaped History, science and technology. Half of time spent dreaming about them made him more miserable than he initially was. He wouldn't never be one of those great men and women, brilliant people who shone with their intelligence, their wit, their talent, their power. He never, ever, would bring anything great. He would only be among people one would forget about, one among millions, one of those who would die from disease or hunger - or both, maybe.

That was why he was eager to go to Hogwarts. Being magical made him special, gave him dreams and confidence enough to believe in a fragile hope he would make the difference in _that_ magical world.

When Tobias was at the pub or recovering from a hangover, Severus would read his mother's books. Therefore, at the age of nine, he knew as much about reading, writing, calculating, politics, history as defence, transfiguration, herbology and potions.

That was around that time too he met Lily - properly. He hadn't remembered seeing her at school before then. They were in separate classes and the school yard was big enough for him to isolate from the other children. He had always hated crowds, noises and - yes, right, he too avoided the others from their constant teasing, and him being stolen his meagre snack (when his mother could give him some in his bag on mornings).

Severus's life half spent at home and the other half at school in total loneliness had suddenly brightened when he finally witnessed Lily and her sister in the park one day.

Oh, the first meeting had been wuite odd. As Severus had run away from home because his father had started to yell and accuse the whole world, the conspirators and his wife to mess up his life, the boy had found refugee under some bushes in the park.

He had always done that: hiding in the bushes. The place was calm, intimate, no one would bother him as it would mean to make an effort to reach that greasy poor boy and he could spend hours in these.

Nonetheless, on that day, he had heard some noise from the swings over there. At first, he was quite pissed that some other children had come to have _fun_. He had much difficulty understanding fun in life. His had always been a misery. They had no money to waste (his father wasted it in alcohol), that's all.

But soon, a girl's laughter had attracted his attention and he finally decided to have a glimpse at the author of such delighted laugh.

He never thought he would witness a flying red-haired flowery-dressed girl. Because she _literally_ flew from the swing. She would swing hard enough, to the swing's limits of swinging, and she would float a few seconds and come down on the grass, laughing in delight, as if she was so happy to fly like birds.

Severus knew instantly she was like him, that she was a witch like his mother, that she only performed magic - and even if he despised heights, he thought that performance was impressive.

He had come back home before dinner time, forgotten the reason why he had run away from his father and spent the dinner submissive as always but his heart had pounded lightly for the first time from ages.

And he had spent a few weeks like this, peering at this flying girl performing her magic, sometimes all alone, sometimes with her older sister who pestered against her.

Indeed, he had been so glad to meet another magical person in the area. He had longly wondered if his mother sometimes made things up to cheer him, to help him to endure their life but… Anytime he thought like that, he immediately loathed himself for being such a rude child because his mom could perform magic - she only tried not to show it under Tobias' scrutiny. He also performed magic - incidentally. Still. MAGIC. And he had just met another witch, that red-haired girl.

She had performed the same trick. Her sister had warned her and threatened to tell their parents. He could not have kept quiet and hidden for long, anyway. So, he had come out from his bushes, surprised both girls, been sneered by Petunia who had immediately seen the poor boy from the other side of the river, and maybe the son of a drunkard _yes, he's that Snape boy_. A burst of anger had grown in Severus, and before he could realize anything, he had performed accidental magic on a Muggle, before witness - a branch had hit Petunia.

However, Lily had come back. They met several times a week, depending on Severus: if he could escape home, if he could escape his father's wrath, if he could manage to come at all. Lily suspected something, as she had heard of some beaten people on the TV screen, but she never said anything.

Almost two years later, both of them had received their Hogwarts letters. Lily had been delighted, joyful, jumped happily in Severus's arms who remained frozen on spot. She had told him Petunia never believed him (that was why she teased him), then had started to be jealous - _because Lily was special and not her_.

The Evans had been visited by a Hogwarts professor, according to Lily. Deputy-Headmistress McGonagall. She's strict, she's wearing a Tartan, she _performed magic _to convince her parents and reassure them about their daughter's abilities_._

As soon as Lily had told him that, Severus had wished someone from that dreamed school would visit his home, to convince Tobias and maybe frighten him a bit? None of this occurred, as the Ministry of Magic was certain the magical parent would tell everything and make everything for their to go to Hogwarts - might they suffer from their Muggle spouse.

'Severus,' Eileen called from downstairs. 'Come, please, we need to fix your robes!'

Severus stopped pacing, had one more glimpse at the view from his small and barreled window, and joined his mother not that enthusiastically.

He was eager to start school in Scotland, not to wear his mother's old robes. Even though she performed magic on them to fit him better. _But you're not that good in transfiguration_, he thought bitterly. He crossed his arms, a pout on his face, clearly showing her he disagreed. Nevertheless, she tutted him, they had no other option, they were poor, her family had cut her money.

'Or, you should go naked, if you prefer,' she brisked. No need to perform any magic, she perfectly knew her son as if she had read his mind. They were so close in that shared misery and violence, so alike, that they spared words to communicate.

With no other assumption, she quickly dressed him with a long black robe, whose collar and sleeves were embroidered with shiny silver lines and the crest of Slytherin broided on the front.

Eileen was a tall woman and had been a tall teenager. The sleeves and hems were too long for severus. She measured the future hem from three parts, asked Severus to undress and she went back in work. Now the long skirt and blouse which would complete the uniform: fortunately to Severus, Tobias was at the bar. He grumbled under his breath, his cheeks hot. Here again, the clothes were too large, he even lost the skirt, as his waist was so thin. Even Tobias was massive so that he certainly gained that chetive appearance from an ancestor. Here, Eileen raised her wand and performed some reductive charm, slowly making the blouse and skirt waist fitting to her child's morphology. Then, she tried to transform the skirt into trousers.

Unsuccessfully. She grunted and tried several times before dropping, asking Severus to undress once more, hid the clothes and went under the kitchen's bulb to sew the robe's hems.

Severus climbed the stairs two at once, worried he would have no uniform on time. He worried over and over, pacing once more.

Tobias came back home, grunted some unintelligible word, then they ate in silence, finally he retrieved in his room to sleep as soon as his head touched the pillow. Severus spent his late evening reading, or trying to, not to worry much about his uniform - to end up praying for his mother's success.

At three in the morning, Eileen succeeded. She folded the whole uniform and placed it on a hanger, tiptoed in Severus's room, hanged the uniform at his window knot and tiptoed back out of the room. She could now join her husband as silently as previously not to wake him up. She did not want to risk such a thing; Tobias being particularly irritated when interrupted in his sleep.

On Severus's day to leave, Tobias went to the pub earlier than usual to celebrate his son's departure. Whether he was now free from supporting such an ungrateful and deformed child he would not have to nourish for a couple of months…

This day was special to Severus and Eileen made the point he should be wearing his best clothes. The boy also thought that was better for him not to display much of his poverty - and he did not want to make a bad impression on wizards and witches. With what her mother had told him, some of them were rich and powerful, mostly pure-blood ones and if he ever was Sorted in Slytherin, he better had to wear proper clothes.

So that he ended wearing a pair of trousers which had seen better days but were the less worn out of his whole wardrobe. Nonetheless, his ankles were popping out the trousers and his feet seemed larger in proportion, enclosed in huge old shoes who had belonged to his father when he was young himself. Eileen had Scourgified them and they were neat but not shiny. They remained old and used. He also wore an old blouse, one of his mother's, which was simple and as neutral as possible - Eileen not the kind of woman having much taste in lovely stuff. The colour of it was washed-out and one could not tell if it was greyish-blue or simply blue.

Severus was not that confident despite his mother's efforts to clean his attire. He had had a quick ablution and his long hair had some washing and brushing. Its aspect was a some sort of shiny greasy, still more shiny from cleanliness than greasy.

Both of them had a quick breakfast, some porridge made with mere water, that Severus ate anyway, even though his appetite was quite absent, due to his growing apprehension.

Eileen only managed to drink some coffee, apprehensive as well; but she would never admit it in front of her son. She knew he was quite stressed and as a mother she had not to show more of it in order to protect her son.

Eileen double-checked Severus's trunk with him so they both were satisfied. The adult then shrunk the trunk and put it in her old and raspy coat's pocket. She was internally thankful that Tobias had left early this morning so that she would perform magic as much as she wanted - as she could not bring her son at the train station to fetch London. Train tickets were so expensive!

She invited her son in the backyard, demanded him to grab her arm and not loosen his grip at any rate.

_A weird sensation behind the navel, the feeling to be constricted in a narrow tube and_… Both of them found themselves in a dead end street a few blocks from Charing Cross.

Eileen had decided that her son would experiment the wall between platforms 9 and 10 in any case he would need to go on his own and could not yet Apparate; as there was an Apparition zone on platform 9 ¾.

When one survived as they were, Eileen soon challenged Severus to be independent. It was a rude necessity to wake every next morning in dealing with autonomy.

She bade him goodbye in front of the brick wall, not wanting to show up in a large crowd, first because she had lost the use of it, secondly because she feared the others' judgement.

Severus believed mostly she did not want to revive her old memories. Eileen gave him his shrunken trunk, told him it would come back to its normal size once he would go on the other side, asked him to write to her regularly and to do well at school. He promised in nodding, not able to talk at that stage, nervous and impatient.

Severus watched around him carefully and somehow apprehensively. Before his eyes was the biggest crowd he ever witnessed: parents, children, pets of all sorts provoking a mayhem.

It was not but from Severus's view, mayhem should resemble this scenery.

The young boy tried to relax, clearly suffering from suffocation because of the crowd. So that to escape from reality, he found refugee in his own mind - as one would call _mind palace_ for another character.

In order to appropriate the location, the boy made everything he could to remember anything he had read about King Cross Station. He had learned that it had been built in 1852, during the expansion of railways in Great Britain; and now it offered twelve stations.

Thirteen in fact, but the Muggles know no such a detail. Platform 9 ¾ had always been hidden from non magical people and that was better this way.

Like the other platforms, this one had arc-like walls elevating high and reminded of cathedrals. The stones used for the architecture were mostly greyish-white, reminding of other monuments in London.

A big red old-fashioned train was vomiting a huge white smoke from its chimney, as its nineteenth century fellow locomotives. On its front was clearly written _Hogwarts Express_; note that they would spend the whole remaining day to go through Scotland. Anyway, wizards surely wanted to bring a somewhat ritual, like those one would have to signal that children came out of infancy to enter the real world that we would find in some tribes.

Severus could not assert such a thing, a bit disturbed that such a slow and Muggle transportation brought several Pure-blood families… Something was missing to ponder a proper thought about it.

He was soon stirred from his thinking when a cheering call attracted his attention at once:

'Severus!' Lily cheerfully said, gesturing towards him, beaming.

Severus shily joined her, his eyes following her friend's direction and meeting her parents and sister. Right. His uneasiness squashed him once more and he felt his limbs were made of cotton, ready to melt to the floor. He nonetheless finished his stroll and curtly nodded politely to the three other people.

Severus clearly was ill-at-ease with people in general, even though he had encountered the Evans several times and that they didn't reject him for being _too _poor to befriend their younger daughter. Even if Severus could sense their worry, he was welcomed with that British _finesse_ of their own, but not without some warmth.

The boy couldn't understand yet that this worry was typical to parents who _cared about_ their children. Although he was quite close to his mother, she lacked empathy and motherhood anyway. One could say that their relationship was mostly on an intellectual level, or would go further, stating that Eileen only saw her son as the only way to fulfill her magical legacy obliviating everything else that was… _her son_.

However, Severus was happy ('till when?) with that relationship, which was far better than the one he had with his father. Nonetheless, both resulted in pure neglect. Neglect could be emotional after all - and Severus didn't understand it yet, while he was witnessing a strange bond between Lily and her parents. Some sort of mystery that he put on the side of the fact they were Muggles - _both_ Muggles.

Soon, the train hissed and that mere noise pressed Mrs Evans to oblige both children to go into it at once. That move, pressed, forced, unnatural, conveyed some sort of suffocation to Severus's point of view. Lily only giggled, too excited to be disturbed. The girl had gone to London a couple of times and she thought that type of restlessness was amusing.

Once they collided behind the door which closed abruptly after them, Lily laughed hard, so happy to finally go to that school Severus had told her again and again, week after week, day after day for so long!

On his side, the boy gritted his teeth and started to show some nervousness. His only wish by now was to sit and never move till the night and cut himself from movements and noise as much as it was possible in a train full of teenagers.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two: When fate plays trick or treat

Severus certainly needed somewhere to sit. His ears were buzzing because of the noise reverberating throughout the train. Lily was walking on his side, smiling widely, but a slight frown showed her concern about her friend.

The young girl was everything Severus wasn't - in one word, she was solace. Lily was dynamic, curious, joyful; even though she knew to remain calm, polite and patient when the situation required so. Her temper was quite good but she was stubborn and determined as well.

In addition, she was a good observer and respected others as much as possible, like her parents taught her and her sister. When she had spent two complete years with Severus, she had noted his own temper. One bit of who he was could lay on the fact Severus associated noise with bad behaviours. He instantly became nervous, his fists and teeth clenched, a slight shiver coming from head to toe. His obsidian eyes always took a specific light, as if they would be a sign of a bad omen. Such a reaction gave Lily some second thoughts because he could be so freaky, displaying an aura which clearly stated "go away from me…" and whatever he would threaten to anyone next.

So, Lily was walking on his side, leading the way, her green eyes looking for an empty couch to settle in for the rest of the journey. Then, amid the train, they stopped and she opened up the door and shut behind them. The noise then was more bearable to Severus who sighed from relief.

Both children took care of their luggage and sat face-to-face, close to the window.

At first, they enjoyed that quite complete silence; either watching the sight from the window, or staring some bit of the couch as if they never had taken the train before - even if that was the case for the boy. He only knew the train by theory and being in one was exciting enough to watch this couch with awe.

They started to talk when the train had come across Devonshire and the countryside became their main spot of view for a large part of the journey.

'So, in which House do you think you'd be sorted into?' Lily asked, already certain of the answer his friend would say, but she wanted to start the conversation anyway. That was what one would name little chat - but she was only 11.

Severus's eyes focused on her face and a somewhat delight irradiated from him. He craved so much about the wizarding world that he felt almost more alive than when he kept living through his Muggle situation and sense of belonging.

'Like my mother… In Slytherin,' he muttered.

'Ah, someone just said something awful, to the point my poor ears are bleeding so badly!' suddenly shouted a preteen male voice in a dramatic tone; immediately followed by a lot of noise. The door opened on two boys, who smelled so much wealth that it was sickening.

Severus was frozen on his seat, and soon understood that the door hadn't been shut properly and had partly reopened in the while; so that those two boys could eavesdrop their conversation and invite themselves in.

'Is that awful to want to go in Slytherin?' he then asked, his chin up, ready to defend his view to their unwanted visitors.

'Slytherin is full of outgrown sinful wizards, one would know this for granted;' the boy with silk-like and curly hair replied. 'Anyone a bit sane shouldn't desire to go in there.' he stated as if it was Truth. A smirk on his face crossed his lips, supporting his view. Lily frowned, a bit perplex by such certainty and because she sensed her friend wouldn't appreciate it one bit.

'My mother isn't sinful,' Severus growled in a spat, feeling attacked deep in flesh, his orbs displaying his anger.

'Is she?' the other boy questioned back, a specific undertone in voice depicting he was ironic. 'Looking at you, I'm not that sure.'

This very sentence made his mate laughing hard, a laugh which could resemble a bark.

Under their scrutiny, Severus was wearing ugly clothes, _Muggle_ clothes. They were faded and outmatched. Nevertheless, that was his appearance which rebuked them: his crooked nose, his greasy long hair, his pallid face, his very posture even… All of this was a some sort of comical effect, both dirty and ridiculous.

That was such a comical effect because this boy was facing such a lovely girl from the countryside. Even though she also was wearing Muggle clothes, she looked more proper than the greasy haired boy; and her solace nature counter-balanced everything he was displaying. The girl was affable.

She was open. That was a sufficient reason for both intruders to stay and to the one who doubted about Severus's mother to attract the girl's attention.

She was like the sun on a spring day.

Meanwhile Severus had jumped to his feet, clearly insulted by the pair. One shouldn't insult his mother in front of him. Lily was surprised by the sudden motion. 'Sev,' she exclaimed, her hands stretched toward him; but she didn't know what to do in fact. She feared his anger, as she already witnessed his lashing of pure wrath when they were alone in the park. This bit of his temper surely was inherited from his father. Nonetheless, the young girl refused to see that again, even less with other people around - she could understand Severus to a certain extent. His environment was toxic, unbearable in some ways, and he didn't know how to release his emotions securely. The young girl knew that no one could be as comprehensive as she. Moreover, she instantly understood that her friend had failed into their trap: he would participate in displaying a wrong image on Slytherin House.

She didn't know how to react but her feelings got the upper hand over her: a single cry escaped her lips; a cry that expressed her own despair about the situation.

'I guess you will be sorted in Gryffindor,' Severus said in a low tone, his eyes glittering. 'Regarding your intelligence…'

Those words had the same effect than a defibrillator on both intruders. The curly-haired boy restrained an insult but he moved to Severus on the motive to punch his face; otherwise he didn't, his friend had foreseen his move and contained him of acting like a Muggle, holding his friend from his armpits in a strong grip.

'Just forget his dirty words, Sirius. He doesnt deserve a single waste of energy… Here, come on, let this trash on his own…' he concluded, commanding Sirius to come out of the couch at once.

Severus was trembling fiercely, his teeth scattering with pain, this reverberating through his jaw bones.

Lily was still somewhat gobsmacked, her eyes wide by such verbal violence.

'That was rude of you to insult their intelligence,' she finally managed to say; even though her tone wasn't accusative.

'What could I do? They insulted my mother!' the boy replied hotly, bile going up in his throat. He swallowed hard, close to be nauseous. He then spent the following minutes to calm down his nerves and breath, inhaling and exhaling with cruciating pain constraining his lungs.

'I think you take it too personally, that is'; Lily countered to soothe him. These words didn't help her friend to calm down at all, still he could sit back on his side by the window and they remained silent till they reached their destination.

When the train got to Hogsmeade Station, all of the students came out in a joyous and excited tremor.

The first years suddenly were called by a giant silhouette, partly lit by a lamp - half-giant to be precise, still it was giant from their point of view. 'Firs' years, firs' years; come over here! Firs' years!'

Even though that view was quite uncanny, mostly for the pupils coming from the Muggle world, they came to the source of the voice.

Lily and Severus sticked together, nervous as they were, and made their way through the larger group of Hogwarts students to meet the half-giant who was waiting for them, a huge smile hidden under his beard but still visible.

All the first years walked for a couple of minutes to end by a lake shore. The landscape looked infinite as no one could see the other side of the bank. Nature was at its wildest. The grass was singing* alongside the wind, under the dome of that autumnal and starry night. On one hand of the shore lay the limits of a gloomy forest, whose trees blocked the view. The wind brought its noises, from unknown beasts and the murmur between the branches. It was pitch black and only could display an aura of doom if one was bold enough to decide to have a walk in it.

'We're going to land on the other side by boat.' the half-giant said when he caught their attention again. 'Only four by boat, and make sure to keep your hands from the lake or the Giant Squid would think you want to play with him!'

Some young cried from excitement and a buzzing of questions, each one as useless as the other, started to overwhelm the half-giant who, though he was pleased they were curious about that creature, tried to keep their minds off the squid and to settle in the boats in order to arrive on time.

While they travelled on the lake, their boats cutting the black lake with their lamps, the new students soon forgot about the giant squid as the castle of Hogwarts stood before them, growing larger and larger, its towers magnificent and proud standing against the sky and the Scottish wild nature. Lily's green eyes embraced this medieval architecture. She tried to memorize every single detail she could at once; then she glimpsed at Severus, her face bright.

The boy was less expressive than her, but she knew he also admired the view through a specific glee in his own orbs.

Severus surely admired the castle, but he was deep in thoughts, far away from that place. His very memories of his mother whispering to him every bit of the magical community, while both of them laid on his bed, in his tiny room at Spinner's End had rushed to his consciousness and overwhelmed him. A gush of nostalgia formed in his throat and he barely could breathe normally. He wished so dearly to have his mother by his side at this very moment to enjoy the view together; as if that would be enough to consolidate the idea they were belonging in the same world.

Something which he missed with a furious strength.

something that kept them apart anyway.

Severus finally was more sad about that wonderful view of the castle than any other feeling. He felt so lonely among the others' s enjoyment.

All the children arrived dry and complete on the bank, safely landing and finding back that dear ground. At one point, someone shouted from surprise, and everyone looked back to see an enormous tentacle coming at the lake surface, somewhat waving at them before disappearing under the deep water.

'Ay, I think he wanted to welcome you at Hogwarts too,' the half-giant commented, before he invited the whole lot to join him.

They climbed several series of stone stairs and came to a halt at some point, either because they were asked for or because of the sight of a strict woman wearing a tartan and a black hat with a large frame.

'Thank you, Hagrid', she murmured, those words only reached the pupils closest to her. She then cleared her voice and her natural authority was sufficient to grasp their attention.

'Welcome to Hogwarts everybody. As you certainly know this boarding school is the most prominent of that part of the world and is world-wide well-known for the quality of its teaching and the famous wizards and witches from Great Britain who attended this very school. In order to be clear from start, it is required that every student here should respect the rules and don't alienate themselves with behaviour, or they would be punished. That point is mostly important as each of you will be soon sorted into one of the four Houses of this school, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin; and that each behaviour will be paid by a loss of House points. On the contrary, when one acts well, either disciplinary or studying, will be rewarded. So act smart, act with solidarity, as your House will be your home for the seven following years.'

Her little speech was listened to carefully. She decided to manage a couple of silent seconds for these words to sink in their minds before demanding them to follow her in ranks.

And after she asked some of them to arrange their appearance.

As they all traveled a bit in the castle (big as it was, that was travelling), the children were half-whispering about how they would be sorted. It appeared that apart from the Muggleborn ones, legends ran across the Pure Blooded ones too. One would say that those half horrific, half humoristic anecdotes were part of the welcoming process.

Lily listened to every bit she could hear, her attentive gaze coming from one group to the other, wondering which was truthful and which was a piece of lies. Severus was walking by her side, completely focused on the architecture; noting that the staircases were moving on their own, that the painting subjects visited one another, the armours were murmuring on their way.

'What do you think about… all of these theories about how we're going to be sorted?' Lily finally dared to ask in a whisper, her very green eyes showing her worry and her seriousness.

'Only… Telltales,' Severus answered her bluntly, a bit annoyed even. Lily frowned. 'Well, my mother told me how it works and it's far away from what the others so passionately are saying.'

'So… Why do they waste their time about how it would be performed, then?'

Severus only shrugged, not understanding as well.

'Would you… tell me the truth?' she questioned timidly. 'Oh, Sev!' she exclaimed while he was smiling that "I-won't-say-anything" expression of his. 'Please! We're friends!'

'And losing the magical part of it? No.' he replied.

'But, you know, so why not?'She countered with determination in her voice.

'That's not a valid reason to spoil your own welcome to Hogwarts.'He firmly refused; focusing back on the corridor - on the gigantic corridor.

They entered in a small chamber, whose candles displayed a dim light, shaping the furniture in an area of comfort and cosyness. The witch they were following all along made them stop with a hand.

'Now, we are going to enter in the Great Hall and perform the Sorting. I will ask you to behave as the whole school will watch you.' She paused, her beady eyes coming from one face to the other to intimate all of them not to do otherwise. 'Now, if you please follow me,' she concluded while she opened another door. All of a sudden, clatter and chatter rang to their ears which had been under silence for the past couple of minutes.

Severus displayed the same attitude than earlier at the London train station. Lily squeezed his hand with hers in compassion. That was brief, as the boy was ill-at-ease with physical contact, he nevertheless appreciated that show of support and he felt more confident when he came in the Great Hall with all the other first years.

The room was spacious and bore its name properly. The ceiling was magically reproducing the outdoor weather and there were floating candle lights placed strategically above the human heads. There were four long tables full of students who all were wearing their school uniforms. They chatted animatedly but this noise changed of nature as soon as they saw the newbies. At the opposite of the entry to which the first year had come from stood a large finely sculpted door with double pan.

On their side was the staff table, and at the center of it the Headmaster was seated on a larger and more elaborate chair than his colleagues'. His half-moon glasses certainly were the less funny part of his attire. The old and powerful wizard was wearing a deep purple robe with shiny silver stars which moved haphazardly. The other members of the staff all wore more neutral robes; otherwise they all had that sort of solemnity painted on their faces.

as if that start of year feast was specific among others. Or they wanted to convey that emotion to every single beginning of term to welcome everyone on a same level.

The witch stood straight, like a soldier, she was then disciplined and she politely waited for the Headmaster to give her assent to start the sorting.

The chatter died down when Dumbledore rose to his feet and opened up his arms as to embrace all of the thousand students beneath him. He was beaming, even though it was difficult to see a smile behind his beard too. Nonetheless, his riddles showed so and his eyes were glittering from pure happiness to welcome everybody.

'Welcome all for that new year at Hogwarts. Before we start talking about serious topics, let's the sorting begin!' and he sat down on those words.

At that time, an old hat which had seen better times started to sing a series of coupled rhymes.

Then the witch placed the magical hat on its stool correctly and unrolled a long sheet of parchment. 'When I call your name, you sit on that stool and wear the Sorting Hat. As he will tell you the House you're going to belong to, you will join your mates.' she said.

The first years became frantic from anticipation and anguish to _finally_ know where they would belong to. The other students silently waited too.

The Sorting began.

'Evans, Lily.'

The young girl met Severus's gaze and they simultaneously crossed their fingers before she did as the witch had commanded them to do.

'Gryffindor!' yelled the Sorting Hat.

Severus's face fell. She was joining one of both boys who insulted his mother and his future house.

Black. His name was Black. He had looked pleased with himself when he was sorted; nevertheless, Severus had seen some people frowning. He couldn't understand what type of frowning there were… So he had first let it aside, concentrating and crossing his fingers behind his back until it was Lily's turn. Now that she was on one of Black's side, he reconsidered those reactions.

He closed his eyes and tried to think with organization. He was good at it. Closing his mind from the distractions of the world and focus on his thoughts and memories. In addition to his motive, he needed to dig in. Even though he came from a mixed parenthood, his mother had taught him about his wizard origins - the Princes were a powerful family, she said. Enough powerful to deny their daughter…

_that wasn't the time to waste on such feelings_, he immediately thought, before digging in deeper on that part of his home teaching. The 28. Yes, that was that. The Blacks were part of the 28: per se a Pure Blooded wealthy and influential family. They all went to Slytherin without exception.

This boy just broke the family tradition and he was _thrilled_. Hm. Severus had then second thoughts, sure that meant something in regard of their relationship. Nonetheless, Severus remained disgusted and angry against Black. He won't change his mind that quickly because of _bad family relationships_. One couldn't excuse the other.

(yes, he also badmouthed Gryffindor but he only defended himself, right?)

'Snape, Severus!'

He broke his concentration, his limbs suddenly as steady as chewing-gum; however he let nothing of the sort showing off his face. He had been well trained as his father every often provoked him to have a good reason to slap him.

His poker face surely intrigued the professors who could see him quite well, under the candle lights and the fact he was close to the staff table. Severus didn't know it yet but all of the adults aware of his facial expression looked closely at his sorting.

The young boy sat evenly and put the Hat on. A sudden blackness came at once, he couldn't see the Hall anymore and a some sort of anxiety crashed down in his gut.

_Well, well, well_; a dead voice rang at his ears as soon as he wore the Hat. As Severus had already heard of the Hat's voice, his surprise was mitigated; still that was some astonishment. _You want to go to Slytherin, boy? Don't be frightened, I can see deep in your thoughts - oh! You're familiar with _Occlumency _yet? Interesting… Still, I cannot fulfill your wish to succeed your mother on that point. Yes, I know Slytherin would quite fit your natural talents for sure but… Regarding the current situation and that strong will of yours to dwell in opposition to conventions… I only can choose…_

'Gryffindor!' the Hat yelled at last.

Making the statement that Severus was gobsmacked barely depicted the hurricane that took place in his mind. The boy stayed frozen on the stool, totally albeit of where he was.

_He had failed_. He cruelly, strongly, sickenly had failed.

The witch came to him and hmed to remind him to let his place to the following pupil. Severus finally undressed the Hat and put it back on its stool. A buzzing at his ears cut all noise made, he couldn't see the Gryffindor table clapping to welcome him, he felt all strange in his body, as if he wasn't the possessor anymore. His obsidian eyes found out Lily in the crowd and he led his way until the table and the bench, using his friend as an anchor in the tempest of his inner self.

Once he sat, he had the feeling the ground was going to bury him.

* _The Grass is singing_: I seriously was tempted to make that specific reference from a book title.


End file.
